Sled.



No. 728,922. l PATENTED MAY 26, 1903. H. G. M. HOWARD. 1

SLED.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 17. 1902.

H0 MODEL.

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` UNTTED STATES Patented May 26, 1903.

HENRY G. M. HOWARD, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

SLED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 728,922, dated May 26, 1903. Application led May 17,1902. Serial No. 107,734. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY G. M. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Sled, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to the runners and the knees of what are commonly known as childrens hand-sleds.

The object of the invention is to facilitate the production of such sleds for the general trade, adding to their strength and durability and especially to their beauty and attractiveness for the purpose of catching the eye of the dealers on account of their appearance and quality and be a pleasure to the user as well.

The particular features which go to make the sled strong, durable, and very attractive are set forth in detail below.V

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation of one of the sled-runners, being an outside view and showingthe broken knees attached; Fig. 2, an elevation of the runner, showing the inside view and before the runner is bowed up at the front end, the attached knees being also shown broken away; Fig. 3, an enlarged broken detail of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a section on line s s in Fig. 3 looking fromA a point at the right, the same being also taken on line c c in Fig. 2 looking from a point at the right and on line c ein Fig. l looking from a point at the left; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper front end broken off from the runner and showing the inside view.

In building the sleds I use for the sledrunners the well-known angle-steel that is right-angled in cross-section, and I shape and curve it with that particularity set forth below and pointed out in the claim, having strength and lightness in View, as stated, and an especial appearance of lightness in weight and a marked attractiveness in its beauty.

Having reference tothe drawings, the parts of the invention are pointed out by numerals, in connection with the description, as follows: The bottoni or horizontal flange 6 of the angle comes on the ground and constitutes the shoe of the sled-runner, while the vertical fiange 7 is the outside of said runner.

For the purpose of illustration we will suppose the sled-runner (shown in Fig. 2) to be thirty-six inches long in its ordinary fullsize. About nine and one-half inches ofthe front end of the outside flange 7 (right-hand end) is beveled 0E or tapered to a perfect slant between 8 and 9, Fig. 2, running down to within about an eighth of an inch, more or less, of the inner or upper face of the bottom flange 6 at 10. By thus limiting the degree of bevel of the vertical flange 7 I retain proper strength at the nose of the sled-runner, besides this narrow portion ofsaid flange 7 forms a finish and a guard for the outside edge of the rave where it joins the nose of the runner. The rave is not here shown, since I intend a design patent upon it.

In bending the frontend of the sled-runner up into the curvedform shown in Fig. l I include with the portion of the vertical ange 7 and the bottom or horizontal flange 6 about three inches of said side flange 7 which has not been beveled, being that portion between ll and 12, Figs. l and 2. The including in this curve about three inches of the vertical flange which has not been dressed off slanting or beveled, the slanting or beveled portion between 8 and 9, and the portion of the horizontal ange beneath theln is very important, and aside from advantages already stated it has a tendency to deceive the eye as to where the bevel or taper or slanting portion really begins and appearing like a natural growth and greatly enhancing the beauty of the runner and which I have found has great weight with the dealersin furnishing hand-sleds lto supply the critical tastes of children. This causes such a symmetrical blending of thev full width bevel bottom Hange and the curvature of each that a pleasure for the eye is at once produced, and such is a fact whether the sled-runner is viewed from the outside, inside, or from whatever point of view. Hence it cannot be said of my sleds that they look clumsy and ugly from any point of View. This becomes especially true in the use of the right-angle steel tapered or beveled and curved as specified. Aside from the attractive features ,by thus treating this particular metal the entire sled has a light, tasty, skeleton-like appearance, pleasing to the beholder, notwithstanding a IOO needed and extra strength of parts is secured. It will be observed that this material called angle-steel which I use for runners is not strictly right-angled interiorly in order to save expense, and thus make it possible to use itin the hand-sled manufacture, but that when viewed in cross-section it is somewhat thickened at the bend where the vertical and horizontal iianges join and has a narrow concave furrow or surface 13 interiorly at this point. Greater strength of material and economy are thus effected. In the use of this angle-steel for sled-runners I secure aside from other advantages a very beneficial bracing of the knees 14 of the sled. The lower end of the knee 14 is made square and at right angles to the vertical sides and edges and fits flat upon the inner surface of the bottom flange 6, and the outside of the knee its against the inner face of the vertical flange 7; but to make the close fit of the knees in the angle of the steel desired and the rigid bracing an absolute fact I dress off in convex form the lower outside corner of the knees 14 at 15, causing it to accurately tit the narrow concave surface 13, which is at the bend of the angle on the inside of the runner, as well as to accurately t the inside of the Vertical flange and the upper side of the horizontal flange, Figs. 4 and 5. I attach the knees 14 to the inside of the vertical flange 7 by rivets 16. Ordinarily rivets inserted straight through these parts might be considered sufficient to hold; but in View of the necessity that the concave and convex surface should especially be held in firm contact to prevent the slightest canting of the knees 14 I set the rivets 16 at an oblique angle, their inner end being a little the highest in order that they will draw outwardly and downwardly and not fail, as straight-set rivets might do, to firmly bring into contact the concave surface of the runner and the convex surface of the knees, and thus hold them. The knees thus firmly bound are held straight up as placed, and by the employment of the convex surface of the corner of the knees and the oblique rivets said knees are absolutely prevented from the slightest canting laterally and with absolutely no strain on the rivets 16.

I prefer to make the knees 14 from halfround metal, the rounded side being the inside, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is-

Sled-runners made of the outer vertical flange 7 and the lower horizontal flange 6 at right angles to each other in cross-section, and having the inner concave furrow or portion 13 at the bend of the angle, in combination with the knees 14 having the outer upright surface and the lower horizontal end surface adapted to fit entirely against the inner surface of the anges 6 and 7, and the lower outer corner of the knees 14 being convexed. as at 15 to fit the conoavity 13, and the binding-rivets 16 passing through the vertical iiange 7 and knee 14 and having the inner end the highest, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY G. M. HOWARD. Witnesses:

PARKE L. BURDICK, Lucius C. WEST. 

